Traffic signal light



Dec. 15, 1964 l. M. HART 3,161,853

TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT Filed May 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E GY -eeg c:

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Filed May 20, 1963 I. M. HART TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 25 Q V 1H C) C) W z5wll' llnQ 2 H fm 5 Q" Q Zeh 25 25 Fifi-5 QI|IIW Q gm Mw Q /24 "IW W22 mu' HH@ ff |I Q w22 Q Fa Q {Immlzlll ZZ/mmp ATTOENEI/ United States Patent Office 3,161,853 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 3,161,853 TRAFFC SGNAL LIGHT Irwin M. Hart, Lorain, Ohio, assigner to Winke-Matic Signal Company, Lorain, Ghia, a corporation of hio Fiied May '20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,692 12 Claims. (Cl. 349-107) This invention relates generally to improvements in signal devices and more particularly to an improved multisignal unit for, control of traffic lanes.

In conventional signal lights or illuminated signals it has been an item of concern to give an immediate and positive instruction to users of commuting ways whether they be afoot or operators of vehicles. Signals in the form of several units require a person to decide which one, if any, apply to him. Should one or more signals be inoperative, such person is faced with a question as to whether such unit is intended to be out of use or temporariiy malfunctioning. Another type of unit in a place of direction might be interpreted wrongly especially if a single red light is used, for example, where the intention is not to stop traffic, but to indicate that a given lane is not open in the direction the viewer is headed. The Iesult of such indefinite indication, especially in lanes of speedy traffic, can cause hesitations leading to slowed travel, so called bottlenecks and accidents.

An object of this invention is to provide a single unit so that when a user of the way looks for directions in the course of his movement he obtains the intelligence from one indicator and need not look for or at others before before proceeding. A user thus saves himself from any hesitancy in deciding whether or not theunit applies to his course of action and obviously, since it is operative, the user knows it is properly functioning.

Another object of the invention is to provide a direction or instruction of movement which is positive and definite as to its meaning. A user interpreting a single light is usually informed on the question of whether or not he should proceed at all. This invention indicates the right to proceed plus the path, lane or Way.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit which can be viewed from either face to indicate proper usage from either side so that in critical areas, such as entrances or exits of bridges or tunnels, users approaching from several directions can be immediately directed or reminded of their right to proceed. In areas undergoing maintenance or construction wherein traffic is caused to change lanes several times, proper indication from either direction may be necessary at several locations. The same unit can be made to reverse tratic on a lane as required. A unit having one face operative is sufficient in each lane for example, at opposite ends of a bridge, wherein raised curbing separates lanes and inad-V vertent lane, changing thereon is improbable, a unit on one end would show the green arrow while the unit on the other end would indicate a red X. Obviously in a dual `face unit, the traffic in one direction would be instructed to use or not use a certain lane while the opposite traflic would be given the converse indication. Any number of faces can be fabricated into a unit of corresponding design to direct traffic at intersections of two or more lanes.

The usual mode of usage is to mount a unit over the lane, path or area to be controlled. The unit can be affixed to a bridge, tunnel, bracket, suspension wire or other suitable support.

The apparatus of this invention consists of a housing part of which comprises a visible face or faces. The faces can be separate or integral with the housing. Said faces are suitably apertured or slotted, permitting internally positioned lamps to indicate a direction signal. The most likely signal of this invention can be a red X or green arrow which have been adopted by tratiic enginers as suitable symbols for traffic direction. The colors can be achieved utilizing colored bulbs, colored lenses and white bulbs, materials having variable color properties, and combinations as required. in operation only one iigure would be illuminated at one time on any one face. Thus, a user confronted with a green arrow in his progress along a pathway or lane would be expected to know that such lane is open to him and he should proceed to utilize it. The invention utilizes a suitable timing mechanism to alternately illuminate the proper lamps which form the desired direction signal. However, should it be preferred to have a permanent signal indication, the unneeded lamps are simply left out of the housing or the timing mechanism deactivated for permanent indication of the desired signal. The unit can be visible at various distances by selection of the appropriate size of internal lamps of the desired intensity. Lenses of suitable Sizes, shapes and colors can be utilized to give the desired visibility.

Further objects and advantages, and other new and useful features in the construction, arrangement and general combination of elements of the improved embodiment of this invention will be apparent as .the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a signal unit embodying the invention.

FiG. 2 is a front View of a face of the invention showing the apertures arranged to form a red X and additional apertures to forrn a green arrow pointing downwardly.

Both of the foregoing figures show the red apertures ver.

tically cross hatched and the green apertures angularly cross hatched.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of FIG. 2 along line 3 3 showing the upper lamp units in section and the ones below in full elevation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a system for causing the lamps to emit signals partially or alternately. Any practical number of lamps can be designed into a unit to achieve the desired figures in a discernable configuration.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the traffic signal when the green arrow and the red X `are illuminated respectively, and the opposite character is dark.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a signal unit includinga housing 11 preferably of rectangular configuration, desirably formed of sheet metal, although sheet plastic or cast metal might equally well be utilized. Centrally disposed in housing 11 is a base plate 12 which in the embodiment shown is conveniently built up from a pair of base plates 13 and 14 disposed in parallel relation and supported in such relation by marginal frame members 15 marginally enclosing the space between the plates 13 and 14.

Secured to base plates 13 and 14, respectively in backto-back relation are a plurality of electric lamp bases or retaining sockets 15 and incandescent lamps 16 secured therein by any suitable, conventional means. The lamps 16 are desirably shielded with shields 17 which coact between the lamps 16 and the lamp bases 15 to prevent light from a given lamp 16 from flooding the interior of housing 11 and rendering indistinct the intelligence conveyed by the device. The lamps are desirably wired in parallel according to a predetermined configuration as hereinafter more fully explained.

The housing 11 is enclosed by face plates 18 and 19 yeach of which is provided with apertures 20, preferably arenaria circular, disposed to form an X, and apertures 2l, also preferably circular, disposed to form an arrow, each of said indicia having a common vertical axis of symmetry. Superimposition of the indicia on a single face, as herein described, reduces the number of signal units required and results in cost saving. When lamps 16 are of the socalled white light variety, apertures 20 are conveniently fitted with red light transmitting lenses 22, and apertures 21 conveniently fitted with green light transmitting lenses Z3. If the lamp envelopes themselves are red or green light transmitting glasses, then the lenses 22 and 23 may be omitted, or colorless. The lenses 22 and 23 are desirably 2.5 in diameter for good visibility.

Visibility ofthe device from a distance, and during times when the sun is located so as to tend to obscure the illuminated lane marking devices hereof, is further enhanced by the provision of suitable side shading members 24 and hood member 25, such members 24 and 25 being provided for each side of the device.

FIG. 4 shows a suitable wiring diagram for energizing the parallel wired lights. It is desired that one or the other of the circuits shall be operative and when the device is bidirectionally operative, as it usually is, the lamps 16a forming the green arrow on a rst side of the device shall be in parallel with the lamps 1Gb forming the red X on a second, opposite side of the device. Reversal of a switch a in response to a timing mechanism 30 coacting between a source of electrical energy 26 and the red-green lamps of opposite sides and the alternatively operative green-red lamps, alternately energizes the proper lane indicia at a predetermined time. Reversal of the switch 30a from the position indicated in FIGURE 4 in response to its timing mechanism 30, there* fore, deenergizes the lamps 16a which form the green arrow on the first side of the device and the lamps 161') which form lthe red X on the second side of the device, and energizes lamps 16C and 16d which respectively form a red X on the first side of the device and a green arrow on the second side of the device. The timing device 36 may be any suitable conventional timing means for traflc light control. Thus, during morning peak traffic time interval, the green arrow will be activated for a lane in the direction toward town, for example, and the red X simultaneously activated on the reverse side of the device indicating to traffic leaving town to stay out of the lane. During the evening peak traffic time interval, the timing mechanism will cause the lights in the other parallel circuit to be activated. Thus, the green arrow on the morning `side will become a red X and the green arrow on the evening side will be illuminated. When either one of the indications is illuminated, it is difficult to distinguish the lenses of the other indication and, therefore, the inoperative indicia or portion has the appearance of being automatically blanked out. When the entire unit is turned off, all the driver secs is a group of signal lights of no meaning at all.

It will be apparent that by altering the wiring or leav ing out lamps in either one of the intelligence communicating figures, the apparatus is adaptable for conveying as many as four messages of users of the way.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the appearance when each of the characters is illuminated and the other is not. Thus in FIG. 5, the green arrow is shown illuminated and the red X is dark. FIG. 6 showsthe signal as it appears when the red X is illuminated and the green arrow is off. In a dual direction device for controlling a single lane, FIG. 5 shows the appearance of one face, and FIG. 6 shows the appearance of the opposite face. By means of the timing switch 30 in FIG. 4, these messages can be reversed according to a predetermined programmed sequence.

Instead of wiring the'apparatus as shown in FIG. 4, the four indications may be wired in the housings 1l individually so that any one of the indications can be utilized without turning the other on.

In such a case,

the green arrow facing north for example and a red X facing south may be illuminated by separate switching means. During change-over times then, when it is desirable to keep all traiiic ofi of the lane in question, red Xs may be made to appear on both sides of the signal. Also at times when repairs are being made in a given lane, it is desirable to keep all traffic off the lane, and this is easily accomplished by having the red Xs on both faces ofthe unit operative.

The units of the present invention have a further advantage in that they combine what has heretofore been supplied as four separate units into a single lane control signal. This is very important from the standpoint of installation because the weight of four signals, that is two red indicating lights, and two green indicating lights, each color facing in opposite directions, is excessive when compared to the mounting equipment available. Usually a spanning wire or heavy cable is stretched across the street. The weight and square foot area of four signs makes it a diicult job to mount because the total square foot area of a single unit is very much less than the total of the area of the other type. Accordingly, the wind loading is less and the requirements for the mounting accordingly less stringent. Similar advantage is obtained in the dead weight of the signal units. The total weight of commercial embodiments of the present invention is approximately 45 pounds, whereas the total weight of a four section system currently being produced amounts to over pounds. These differences are significant in places where the poles holding up the span wire are in soil rather than mounted to a concrete foundation.

The embodiment shown in the annexed drawing is a particularly preferred structure for the reason that the lamps are provided with the shields 17 which not only inhibit back-lighting of other lenses from within the housing 11, but also eliminate the problem of sun phantom. Thus, when the red X is on, the green arrow is not understandable, and when the green arrow is on, the red X is not understandable to a driver. When all of the lights are out, the driver cannot perceive any pattern of legibility from viewing all of the various bulbs as they are when in an off position.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. A signal device comprising in combination a housing having opposed faceplates, each of said plates having apertures forming an X and an arrow on a common vertical axis, a first group of lamps disposedwithin the housing in alignment with the apertures forming the X and a second group of lamps disposed within the housing in alignment with the apertures forming the arrow, said first group of lamps being adapted to transmit light of a first color and said second group of lamps being adapted to transmit light of a second color, and means for alternately illuminating the first and second groups of the lamps associated with each of said faceplates to alternately present a visible X of the rst color on either one of said faceplates and a visible arrow of the second color on the other of said faceplates.

2. The apparatus of claim l including external shade members coacting with said faceplates to enhance the visibility of said X and arrow, respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including lenses superimposed over said apertures to intensify the visibility of said X and arrow, respectively.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 including shields coacting with said lamps to direct and intensify the illumination of said lamps through the adjacent apertures.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the said lirst color is red and the said second color is green.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the lenses superimposed over the aperture forming the X are red and wherein the lenses superimposed over the apertures forming the arrow are green.

7. A signal device comprising in combination a housing having oppositely disposed faceplates, at least one faceplate having a rst group of apertures forming only an X and a second group of apertures forming only an arrow, said rst and second groups of apertures being superimposed and having a common vertical axis, individual lamps disposed within the housing Iin alignment with each of said apertures, and means for alternately illuminating the lamps aligned with the apertures forming the X and the lamps aligned with the apertures forming the arrow to alternately present a visible X and a visible arrow.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including external shade members coacting with said one faceplate to enhance the visibility of said X and arrow.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 including lenses superimposed over said apertures to intensify the Visibility of said X and arrow, respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 including shields coacting with said lamps to direct and intensify the illumination of said lamps through the adjacent apertures.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the lenses superimposed over the apertures forming the X are red and 6 wherein the lenses superimposed over the apertures forming the arrow are green.

12. A signal device comprising in combination a housing having opposed faceplates, each of said faceplates having apertures forming an X and an arrow on a cornmon vertical axis, a rst group of lamps disposed within the housing in alignment with the apertures forming the X and a second group of lamps disposed within the housing in alignment with the apertures forming the arrow, said first group of lamps being adapted to transmit light of a rst color and said second group of lamps being adapted to transmit light of a second color, and means for alternately illuminating the first and second groups of the lamps associated with each of said faceplates to alternately present a visible X of the rst color and a visible arrow of the second color on one of said faceplates and a visible X of the rst color and a visible arrow of the second color on the other of said faceplates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,726,910 9/ 29 Meiscnheimer 340-124 1,771,953 7/30 Conklin 340-332 2,088,370 7/ 37 Gingras 340-82 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SIGNAL DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HOUSING HAVING OPPOSED FACEPLATES, EACH OF SAID PLATES HAVING APERTURES FORMING AN X AND AN ARROW ON A COMMON VERTICAL AXIS, A FIRST GROUP OF LAMPS DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES FORMING THE X AND A SECOND GROUP OF LAMPS DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES FORMING THE ARROW, SAID FIRST GROUP OF LAMPS BEING ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT LIGHT OF A FIRST COLOR AND SAID SECOND GROUP OF LAMPS BEING ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT LIGHT OF A SECOND COLOR, AND MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY ILLUMINATING THE FIRST AND SECOND GROUPS OF THE LAMPS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID FACEPLATES TO ALTERNATELY PRESENT A VISIBLE X OF THE FIRST COLOR ON EITHER ONE OF SAID FACEPLATES AND A VISIBLE ARROW OF THE SECOND COLOR ON THE OTHER OF SAID FACEPLATES. 